Lessons in Affection
by Scotty1609
Summary: Jack Frost was alone for 300 years, so affection does not really come naturally to him. 5 times the Guardians showed Jack affection, and one time he showed them affection. (Rating may go up)
1. Nicholas St North

**I don't own ROTG and this is my first fic for them, so please lemme know what you think and enjoy! The next chapter shall be up shortly!**

**Nicholas St. North**

Ever since the defeat of Pitch Black, the Guardians had been working overtime to gain back the amount of believers they had before the war. They all went back about their business, Bunnymund to his Warren to concoct new plans for the most extravagant Easter yet, determined to bring back the hope of the children of the world. Tooth had begun to travel the world again, visiting a new city at least twice a week in the hopes of feeling the rush of fond memories so she could better understand her young charges. The Sandman went to his cloud, exhausted from the war and sleeping day in and day out for near a whole month, beautiful dreams pulled straight from his own consciousness and sent to little children all around the world. North, with Christmas only five months away, set about fixing the havoc which had been unleashed upon his workshop, designing newer and wonderful toys to replace those broken. And Jack Frost went about his usual business, having fun and bringing winter to all those who sought it.

It wasn't until nearly three months after defeating Pitch that the Guardians all met up again, having been too busy trying to establish new believers and retrieve the lost ones. Rather than use the northern lights, North sent out letters through snow globes as to not startle his comrades. On the day of which the letter had specified, no special day but a calm Tuesday afternoon, the Guardians trickled in to the workshop one by one.

Tooth, known well for her promptness, arrived first with five of her faeries and a large bottle full of nectar. "I figured we could use some relaxation and a sweet treat!" she explained to North and, upon earning a raised brow, further stated, "It's a sugarless blend."

Sandy traipsed in not long after, Bunnymund at his side. The rabbit was shivering and dusting snow off his fur, grumbling about the cold weather. Sandy was beaming, as per usual, and greeted his fellow Guardians with a child-like cheer.

After a short while, the Yetis brought in a great feast, Phil dragging Jack into the room as the winter spirit sent a sheepish grin towards North. "I let myself in and- ah- Phil here decided to escort me!"

"No need to come in through windows, Jack," North chided the boy gently, pushing him lightly towards a seat at the overtly large table. "You are Guardian now! Friend, _family_! No sneaking about necessary."

Jack grinned up at North, Tooth's faeries swooning at the sight and falling into their shared bowl. "Yeah, I know, but I still like to try and get past Phil."

Said Yeti grunted and glared at the boy, earning a loud laugh in response, before trudging away to do continue on with his work. And so Jack looked at the table before him.

His mouth dropped wide open.

Spread across the hard wood were foods of all kinds- exotic fruits and herbal plants placed near Tooth, their colors blindingly bright. Cups of honey had been served to the baby tooths, much to their mother's dislike. Near where she sat was Sandy's portion of their meal- three large trays of all sorts of seafood. Trout and tilapia, salmon and sushi, calamari and the forever favorite _carpaccio_. Bunny, of course, had carrots upon his tray, but what really made Jack's eyes pop was the vast amount of greens he saw. Not just broccoli and lettuce, but other sorts of foliage which the boy could scarcely name. Before North was a large amount of stroganov, caviar and vinegret to the side of his dishes, accompanied by heaping plates of none other than Christmas cookies.

Jack blinked at the food, mouth watering, and looked down at his own plate. North chuckled at the boy's delight, clapping him heavily on the shoulder. "I do not know what foods Jack Frost would like, so I took guess. You are welcome to anything on plates you see."

In front of Jack was a classic Christmas meal: slices of ham and turkey drizzled with honey and sweet spices, ricotta cheese on potato slices, and the largest pile of steamed broccoli and carrots he had ever laid eyes on. Then there was the accompanying bread basket, toast and muffins and kolaches spilling out. The sight of so much food was too overwhelming for the child. He pushed his chair back, breathing heavily and looking up at North with the most confused and most hopeful expression the man had ever seen in his many years.

"This- this is all... for _me_?" he managed to gasp out, eyes flitting from the Cossack to the table.

"Of course, Jack," Tooth butted in with a pointed frown. "Who else would it be for? It's on your plate, isn't it?" The faerie didn't mean the words spitefully, for North was known well for stacking food high on plates and not caring if it tumbled out onto the table.

"I- I mean-" Jack stuttered, his cheeks frosting over in embarrassment as the eyes of the Guardians all rested on him. "I've never seen so _much_."

Bunnymund snorted, chomping on a carrot. "This is nothin', mate. Wait til you see what the old hoon does of Christmas."

Jack, looking ready to pass out, was quickly ushered by North into the hallway, away from prying eyes. "What is it, my boy?" North inquired with a heavy hand on the child's shoulder. "Is the food not to your liking?"

"It's- It's great, North, really," Jack tried to convince the Cossack, who was having none of it.

"Bah! I make you new food. What do you like? What is favorite? Elves bring it right out-"

"No! North, _really_," Jack stammered, grinning from ear to ear. "I like it, all of it- and the potatoes looked _especially_ potatoey- I'm just..." Shuffling his feet and clutching at his staff, Jack sighed and realized the man was wanting a real explanation. "I grew up in the dark ages, when there wasn't hardly any food. And now, I'm a spirit. I really don't need a lot to survive. A few berries here, a little water there, and I'm good!" Jack's cheeks had thawed, but were now a blazing blue. "I'm just not used to... _having_ so_ much_."

North's face softened as his heavy hand squeezed Jack's shoulder. "Eat what you want, Jack. We will not judge. Extra food just goes to Yetis!"

His embarrassment fading, Jack nodded eagerly. "Alright. I'll try to eat a lot but-"

North made a nonchalant noise in his throat, waving his hand in the air. "Is alright, Jack. Tooth eats very little as well. Extra food goes to faeries, da? Never fear. Will not go to waste."

Jack's head bobbed in confirmation of his understanding, and he raced back out to be with his comrades. North stayed behind for a few moments, trying to gather himself. Was Jack so foreign to such kindness? The feast was nothing, just a little show of North's affections for his fellow Guardians, a gift so to speak.

North headed back out to the feast with one goal in mind- to give Jack the affection the boy was most desperately lacking.

**So whatcha think? Not too shabby, I hope? I tried not to make it too boring, but I might have failed at that :*(**

**And does anyone know how to put the dividers on the new Copy-N-Paste doc manager? **


	2. the Sandman

**I do not own ROTG.**

**Here is part 2: Sandy**

**WARNINGS: (brief allusion to) child abuse**

The Sandman was no stranger to nightmares. Not long ago he had been a nightmare himself, shot with the Boogeyman's poisonous arrow and transformed into a being that made him shudder to remember it. The Sandman was the bringer of good dreams and the guardian of such. He had much experience with nightmares.

He was making his nightly rounds, nearly six months after Pitch's attack, and was having a wonderful time sending golden tendrils of sand into the happy minds of the little children all around. After the events of the war, Sandy made sure to stop by Burgess, Maine every night to ensure that the children there were still under the safe guard of dreams. MiM knew they might have need of it, after the horrifying things they saw.

So, having created happy dreams for the young Jaime and Sophie Bennet and their friends, Sandy was making his way to Jack's lake- pond more like it, although the boy insisted they call it a lake- to pay his friend a visit. The Guardians made it a point to get together more often following the war, especially since they had a new guardian to train up. Jack Frost was very capable, but he was a child- a three-hundred-year-old child, but a child none the less. If MiM had deemed the other Guardians worthy of such a family member, they would see to it that the boy was brought up good and right. They had already wasted three centuries away; they couldn't waste another minute. In the end, the Guardians agreed- unbeknownst to their youngest member- to meet up more often so as Jack would no longer feel the lonesomeness he was born into.

Sandy floated down to the lake, not yet frozen solid but with a thin sheen of ice covering its surface. Snowfall had started in Burgess, and a light layer of the powdery white fluff- good for snowball making- rested on the ground. Not wanting to ruin Jack's hard work, Sandy floated just above the snow as he drifted in and out of the trees, searching for his young friend.

It was the whimpering that caught his attention.

Sandy darted upward, coming to stop on a branch high up in the thickest tree of the thicket. Huddled up against the trunk, his hoodie disheveled and staff curved tight in a death grip, was a slumbering Jack Frost. The boy's pale face was twisted in pain, his lips quivering as he turned his head back and forth. "N-No..." Jack hissed out, tears coming to his closed eyes. "P-Pippa..." he hissed, curling in tightly on his staff.

Concerned, the Sandman crept forward and looked all around for any sight of Pitch Black. Surely the man wouldn't be back so soon...? Looking back to the winter spirit, Sandy then realized that Jack, despite being asleep and most obviously in discomfort, was not having a nightmare. He was having a memory.

"G-Get away from... from her..." the boy whispered, tears dripping down his cheeks. "D-Da... Da, _please_..."

Sandy sighed, stroking the boy's hair gently. Jack stiffened at the touch, and Sandy froze, fearing he had awoken the boy. But then, Jack relaxed into the touch, his cold cheek resting on the side of his staff as his fellow spirit stroked the soft silver down on his head. As soft golden waves of sand drifted down from the man's chest, he morphed them into images- that of snowflakes and snowball fights and snowmen- before using his free hand to bless Jack's restless mind.

If the Sandman stayed longer, stroking Jack's hair and swaying to a silent lullaby, it was unknown to anyone else.

Besides the half-awake Jack Frost.

**Thanks for reading and please favorite!**


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